Breech-protector for firearms.



No. 859,932. PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

0. C. EDWARDS.

BREECH PROTECTOR POR FIREARMS.

APFLIUATION FILED APB.. 17. 1905.

Inventor.

Witness s Y I 1 l ZZ J Attorneys OLIVER G. EDWARDS, OF HORTON, KANSAS.

BREECH-PROTECTOR FOR FIREARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1907.

Application filed April 17,1905. Serial No. 256,003.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER C. EDWARDS, a citizen of the/'United States,residing at Horton, in the county of Brown and State of Kansas, haveinvented a new and useful Breech-Protector for Firearms, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to breech loading lire-arms, and its object is tohouse and protect the breech end of the barrel and the forward end ofthe stock when these parts are separated.

It is a well-known fact that when the barrel of a lirearin is removedfrom the stock thereof, the breech end of the barrel and the firingmechanism of the stock are exposed to the action of the atmosphere aswell as to accumulations of dust, sand, etc., which will, of course,eventually work serious injury to the fire-arm. In view of thisobjection, I propose to provide for incasing the breeches of the barreland stock when disconnected and to embody the invention in the nature ofindividual case sections capable of convenient application and removalwith respect to the stock and the breech end of the barrel so as toeffectually house and protect the same and also to enable the assemblingof the case sections in telescoped relation when not in useA so as topermit of the case sections being conveniently carried in a satchel orthe like when not applied to a lire-arm.

While the present invention has been particularly designed, shown in theaccompanying drawing and described in the following specification forapplication to Winchester rifles of the ]903 model, it will, of course,be understood that the invention is capableof application to other typesof [ire-arms by making such slight changes in details as may benecessary to accommodate the case sections to the peculiarities inconstruction ofthe different types of lire-arms.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts aswill be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanyingdrawing and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it beingunderstood that changes in the form, proportion, size and minor detailsmay be made, within the scope of the claims, without departing from thespirit or sacriii cing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying draWing:-Figure l is a perspective view of the'breech end of a barrel having the barrel case member fitted thereto.Fig. 2 is a similar view of the stock with the stock case member appliedthereto. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the stock case member.Fig. 4 is a similar view of the barrel case memberA Fig. 5 is alongitudinal sectional view showing the case members assembled intelescoped relation when not applied to the lire-arm. Fig. (i is a crosssectional view on the line G-G of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a fragmentarysectional View showing the interengagement between the front of thebarrel case member and the breech of the barrel. Fig. S is a fragmentarysectional view illustrating the interengagenient between the front endof the stoc case member and the stock. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectionalview showing the connection between the rear end of the stock casemember and the stock.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each andevery figure ofthe drawing.

Taking up at first the barrel case member, reference is directed to Fig.4 of the drawing wherein this case member has been designated in generalby the reference character A and includes corresponding substantiallyparallel side plates o1' members l and 2 which are connected at theirrear ends by a rear end wall 3, the upper portion 4- of which isinclined forwardly, there being a bottom plate 5 connecting the loweredges of the side plates l and 2 throughout their entire lengthsA Theforward edges of the side plates l and 2 incline downwardly andrearwardly, and at the front edge of the bottom 5 there is forwardlydirected lip or hooked projection 6 which rises slightly above thebottom of the case and projects in front of the front edge of thebottom. A spring latch 7 is secured to the upper portion 4 of the back 3and extends forward-ly so as to overhang the open top of the casemember. the free end of the latch being provided with a catch head 8,the shoulder of which extends downwardly with the forward extremity ofthe head bowed upwardly to form a linger-piece for convenience inelevating thc latch to discngage the same as will hereinafter appear.

The barrel case member is shown assembled with the breech end of thebarrel in Fig. l of the drawing wherein 9 designates a portion of thebarrel and l0 the breech end thereof which is received between the sidesl and 2 ofthe case member A with the rear end 3 of the case closing thebreech end of the barrel and the bottom plate 5 closing the lower sidethereof, the projection 6 being received in the usual seat or recess ll.in the bottom portion of the breech end of the barrel so as to preventdropping of the forward end of the case from the barrel. The springlatch 7 overhangs the top of the breech end of the barrel and the latteris provided with a socket or recess l2 for the reception of the latchhead 8 to hold the rear end of the case upon the breech end of thebarrel. When the case is thus applied, the open portions of the breechend of the barrel are entirely closed so as to protect the interiorthereof against the effects of the atmosphere and the lodgment of dust,sand, and the like therein.

It will here be explained that no change or alteration is necessary inthe breech end of the barrel beyond the formation of a seat in the outerside of the top thereof for the reception of the spring latch. The casemember may be readily removed by lifting the spring latch out of theseat or recess 12 and then drawing the case rearwardly from the barrelwithout necessitating the detachment of any other fastening devices.

For incasing the firing mechanism in the forward end of the stock of thefire-arm, there is a case member designated B which includessubstantially Iparallel side plates 13 and 14 which are connectedthroughout their top edges by an arched top 15, the front ends of theplates 13 and 14 being connected by a front wall 16 while the rear endsand bottom edges of the plates are unconnected so that the case memberis open throughout its bottom and rear end. ln the inner face of thefront wall 16 and adjacent the lower end thereof there is a seat orrecess 17, the material of the wall being displaced forwardly to producethe seat or socket. In the rear end portion of the top 15 there is aseat or recess 18. Within the case member and depending from the rearportion of the top thereof is a lug 19 having a threaded opening 2O toconstitute a nut. The upper portions of the rear edges of the sideplates 13 and 14 and the rear end of the top 15 are inclined forwardlyas at 21, and the remaining portions of the rear edges of said platesare inclined downwardly and forwardly as at 22.

Upon reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing, wherein has been shown thestock 23 of the hre-arm, it will be seen that the case member B isadapted to be slid upon the forward end of the stock with its sideplates 13 and 14 and forward end 1G snugly embracing and housing theotherwise exposed firing. mechanism in the stock, the inclined rear edgeportions 21 and 22 of the case member accommodating themselves tocorrespondingly inclined shouldered portions upon the stock. When thusassembled upon the stock, the nut 19 receives the screw 24, as shown inFig. 9, commonly carried by the stock for engagement with a nut upon thebreech end of the barrel to hold the. barrel and stock assembled7 andtherefore this same screw serves to retain the case member B upon thestock. To prevent looseness of the forwardend of the case member B, thesocket 17 thereof receives the projection 25 carried by the forward endof the stock and designed to engage the recess 11, shown in Fig. 7 whenthe stock and barrel are assembled.

It will here be explained that the socket 11 in the breech end of thebarrel and the projection 25 upon the forward end of the stock are madeuse of in holding the respective case members to the barrel and stock,and with the exception of the notch or recess 12 in the top of thebreech end of the barrel, no alteration is required in either portion ofthe fire-arm to permit of the reception and retention of the casemembers thereon.

When the case members are not in use, the stock member B is slid, ortelescoped within the barrel member A as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, theprojection 6 of the member A being received within the socket 17 of themember B and the spring catch 7 snapping into the notch or keeper 18 inthe top of the case member B, whereby the two members are effectuallyheld in telescoped relation so as to close the open sides of one anotherand thereby effectually exclude dust, sand, moisture and the like so asto protect the interior of the case members when not in use. This is avery important advantage of the present invention for the reason that ifthe case sections should remain separate when not in use they would, ofcourse, collect moisture,

sand, etc., which would work injury -to the hre-arm when the casesections were applied thereto and, in

. fact, might in some instances prevent the application of the casemembers until the accumulations of foreign matter could be removed.

Having fully described the invention, what is claimed is l. A breechprotector for lire-arms comprising a barrel case member formed toembrace and close the breech end of the barrel, and a stock case sectionformed to embrace and house the firing mechanism cari'icd by the forwardend of the stock.

2. A breech protector for nre-arms consisting of a longitudinallybifurcated barrel case which is closed throughout its bottom and outerend and open throughout its top and forward end and capable of beingtelescoped upon the breech end of the barrel to close the open partsthereof, and a longitudinally bifurcated stock case member which isclosed throughout its top and forward end and open throughout its bottomand rear en d and capable of being telescoped upon the forward end ofthe stock to house the firing mechanism thereof.

3. A breech protector for fire-arms including a barrel case memberformed to embrace and inclose the open portion of the breech end of thebarrel, and a stock case member formed to house the firing mechanism ofthe stock, said case members capable of being mutually engaged when notapplied to a fire-arm to close their open sides and protect theinteriors thereof.

4. A breech protector for fire-arms including a longitudinallybifurcated barrel case member which is closed throughout its bottom andrear end and open throughout its top and forward end and capable ofbeing telescoped upon the breech end of the barrel to close the openportions thereof, and a longitudinally bifurcated stock case memberclosed throughout its top and' forward end and open throughout itsbottom and rear end and capable of being telescoped upon the forward endOfthe stock to house the firing mechanism thereof, said case memberscapable of being mutually telescoped to close their open sides andprotect the interiors thereof. I

5. 'A breech protector for nre-arms including a barrel case membercapable of being telescoped upon the breech end of a barrel and providedat the forward end of its bottom with a forwardly directed projection toengage a socket in the breech end of the barrel and also provided at thetop of its rear end with a forwardly extending spring catch to engagethe top of the breech end of the barrel, and a stock case member capableof being telescoped upon the firing mechanism of the stock and providedat the bottom of its forward end with an internal recess to receive aprojection upon the front of the stock and also provided within the topof its rear portion with a nut to receive the screw upon the stock whichfastens the barrel thereto, said case members capable of being mutuallytelescoped when not in use to close their open sides, the projection ofthe barrel case member being disposed to engage the recess of the stockcase member and said stock case member being provided upon its top witha keeper for engagement by the spring latch of the barrel case member.

G. A breech protector for ire-armsincluding a barrel member capable ofbeing telescoped upon the breech end of the barrel to close the openportions thereof and provided with a projection to engage a recess uponthe breech end of the barrel for supporting the case member in place,and a stock case member capable of being telescoped upon and to housethe firing mechanism ofy the stock and provided with an internal recessto receive a projection upon the stock to hold the case member in place,said case members capable of being mutuallytelescoped when not in use toclose their open sides with the projection of one case member receivedwithin the recess of the other case member to prevent separation of themembers.

7. A breech protector for fire-arms including barrel and stock casemembers to inclose the breech end of the barrel and firing mechanism ofthe stock, respectively, and capable of being mutually telescoped whennot in use to close their open sides, one of the case members beingprovided with a spring,r catch to hold the member in place when ftted toa fire-arm, the other case member being provided with a keeper forengagement by the latch When the case members are mutually assembled.

8. A breech protector for fire-arms including barrel and stock casemembers to inclose the breech end of the barrel and tiring mechanism ofthe stock, respectively, the barrel member having a projection to entera socket in the breech ond of the barrel and also provided with a springlatch to engage said breech end of the barrel and retain the member inplace, the other member being provided with an internal recess toreceive a projection upon the fox-Ward end of the stock, said casemembers capable of being mutually telescoped when not in use with theprojection of the barrel member received within the recess of the stockmember, and the stock member being provided with a keeper for engagementby the spring latch of the barrel member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afhxedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OLIVER C. EDWARDS.

Witnesses z SUSIE E. HlNns, ARTHUR LOVE.

